Zurich Classic of New Orleans
Avondale, LA
In alternate-shot action and playing out of the final group, second-round leaders and third-round co-leaders Jon Rahm (World No. 11) and Ryan Palmer (World No. 70) cruised to a 3-under-par 36-33=69 in Sunday’s final round at TPC Louisiana for a 72-hole tally of 26-under 262, good for a three-shot victory over runners-up and Zurich Ambassadors Sergio Garcia/Tommy Fleetwood (68).
Rahm, age 24, and Palmer, 42, were pre-tourney 18/1 outrights and 7/4 betting favorites entering the final round.
Palmer claims his fourth PGA TOUR title in 394 events, first since the 2010 Sony Open 218 starts ago (3,388 days), while Rahm claims his third TOUR win in 67 events, first since the 2018 CareerBuilder 29 starts ago.
[[ad:athena]]
This was Palmer’s third try in the team format, finishing T4 in 2017 (with Jordan Spieth) and missing the cut by one in 2018, also with Spieth. Rahm was playing his second Zurich after a missed cut last year (by two) teamed with Wesley Bryan.
This first-time pairing was Palmer’s idea. Spieth took a pass based on the TOUR’s revamped schedule, while Bryan is on the injury list after having shoulder surgery a couple of months ago.
“I shot him a text, hoping he would bite,” Palmer recalled. “When a 42-year-old player is calling him, he’s probably like, ‘Why does he want to play with me?’ But he accepted and what an awesome week.”
After opening with 64 (best ball), 65 (alternate shot), and 64 (best ball), the tandem began T1 with playing competitors Scott Stallings/Trey Mullinax (77). They squared a lone bogey-5 at hole 6, outflanked by four circles at 2, 10 (from 13'5" by Rahm), 13 and 14 (11'3" by Palmer). Rahm added a 23'9" par-saver at 15, while Palmer saved par three times from between six and nine feet.
OUT: even-par 36 (1 birdie, 1 bogey); lead by 1
IN: 3-under 33 (3 birdies, NO bogeys); won by 3
Sharing 3rd place, five adrift, were the teams of Kyoung-Hoon Lee/Matt Every (68), and Brian Gay/Rory Sabbatini (71).
Final Leaderboard (pre-tourney odds outright):
1- (-26, 262) Jon Rahm/Ryan Palmer (18/1)
2- (-23, 265) Sergio Garcia/Tommy Fleetwood (8/1)
3- (-21, 267) Kyoung-Hoon Lee/Matt Every (150/1)
3- (-21, 267) Brian Gay/Rory Sabbatini (66/1)
5- (-20, 268) Seamus Power/David Hearn (100/1)
5- (-20, 268) Roberto Castro/Cameron Tringale (175/1)
5- (-20, 268) Kevin Kisner/Scott Brown (28/1)
5- (-20, 268) Hank Lebioda/Curtis Luck (175/1)
Rahm/Palmer Scoring by Round:
Note: Preferred lies R1 & R2
R1: 64 (8 birdies, NO bogeys); best ball
R2: 65 (7 birdies, NO bogeys); alternate shot
R3: 64 (9 birdies, 1 bogey); best ball
R4: 69 (4 birdies, 1 bogey); alternate shot
Rahm/Palmer Position by Round:
R1: T17 (4 back)
R2: 1
R3: T1
FedExCup Points and Money:
The duo split first- and second-place money as well as FEC points, so each
pocketed $1,051,200 and 400.00 FEC points.
FedExCup Standings:
Rahm: 6th (up 17)
Palmer: 19th (up 31)
Official World Golf Ranking:
This was the third edition of the Zurich in the team format and third where no world-ranking points were earned. Palmer’s reward for winning for the first time in over 9 years? He drops three spots. In the world of OWGR, this event does not exist.
Rahm: 11th (no change)
Palmer: 73rd (down 3)
Season:
Muddying the Bayou waters further, the team aspect of the event counts in some statistical areas, like top-10 finishes, but not in other areas, like driving accuracy, greens in regulation, strokes gained, scoring average etc., so neither player gets a bump in those regards.
Starts: 12
Cuts Made: 12
Top 25s: 11
Top 10s: 8 (leader)
Top 5s: 2
Wins: 1
Season Form: 1-9-24-6-12-45-9-10-5-6-8-22
Note: Rahm checked in off a T9 at the Masters two weeks ago (69-70-71-68).
Starts: 12
Cuts Made: 8
Top 25s: 5
Top 10s: 4
Top 5s: 3
Wins: 1
Season Form: 1-28-MC-MC-4-MC-60-13-MC-7-3-33
Note: Palmer checked in off a T28 at last week’s RBC Heritage (66-71-74-69).
Field Scoring Average:
This was the 71st playing of the Zurich, 14th at TPC Louisiana, 13th consecutive, and third straight as a team event.
Par: 72 (36-36)
7,425 yards
R1: 65.58 (best ball); preferred lies, contested over two days
R2: 71.23 (alternate shot); preferred lies, contested over two days
R3: 65.80 (best ball)
R4: 71.90 (alternate shot)
Total: 68.63
Rahm/Palmer: 64-65-64-69
Had there been ShotLink:
12.510 SG: Total
Their performance in alternate shot won them this event, particularly a bogey-free, 7-under 65 in R2, which was 6.23 strokes better than the field average in R2.
Alternate shot: 9.130 SG: Total
Best ball: 3.380 SG: Total
Leader/co-leaders by Round:
R1: Brian Gay/Rory Sabbatini (finished T3)
R2: Jon Rahm/Ryan Palmer (Won)
R3: Scott Stallings/Trey Mullinax (T13)
R3: Jon Rahm/Ryan Palmer (Won)
Low Rounds:
R1: 60: Brian Gay/Rory Sabbatini
R2: 65: Jon Rahm/Ryan Palmer
R3: 61: Branden Grace/Justin Harding
R4: 67: Ian Poulter/Sam Horsfield
Note: Rahm/Palmer’s R2 65 is the alternate-shot scoring record in this event, previously 66.
Bogey-free Rounds:
R1: (51 teams): including Jon Rahm/Ryan Palmer (64)
R2: (5): Jon Rahm/Ryan Palmer (65); Peter Malnati/Billy Hurley III (67); Billy Horschel/Scott Piercy (68); Tom Hoge/J.J. Henry (68); Russell Knox/Brian Stuard (69)
R3: (18)
R4: (0)
Draw:
A total of 39 teams from a field of 80 teams made the 36-hole cut of 8-under 136:
20 (of 40) EARLY/late
19 (of 40) LATE/early
Top 5s: 8 teams
EARLY/late (4):
Jon Rahm/Ryan Palmer (Won); Sergio Garcia/Tommy Fleetwood (2nd); Brian Gay/Rory Sabbatini (T3); Kevin Kisner/Scott Brown (T5)
LATE/early (4):
Kyoung-Hoon Lee/Matt Every (T3); Seamus Power/David Hearn (T5); Roberto Castro/Cameron Tringale (T5); Hank Lebioda/Curtis Luck (T5)
Note: Rahm/Palmer are the second straight EARLY/late Zurich winners.
By the Numbers:
- 7/4: Rahm/Palmer’s revised outright betting entering the final round.
- 77: Overnight co-leaders Stallings and Mullinax’s final-round score (1 birdie, 4 bogeys, 1 double) out of the final group.
- 24: There were 24 first-timers at TPC Louisiana. Best finish: T3 by Kyoung-Hoon Lee (teamed with Matt Every).
- 3: There were 3 teams where both players were making their tourney debuts. Best finish: T5 by Hank Lebioda/Curtis Luck, both in on sponsor exemptions.
- T2: Stallings/Mullinax were T2 at the turn (1 birdie, 2 bogeys), but came home in birdie-less 4-over (2 bogeys, 1 double) for T13 (61-70-62-77).
- T13: Defenders Billy Horschel (Zurich Ambassador) and Scott Piercy finished T13 (66-68-66-70).
- 7/1: Zurich Ambassador Jason Day and Adam Scott were pre-tourney 7/1 faves outright. They missed the cut by one (65-72).
- 27: Through 27 events on the season, just one pre-tourney fave/co-fave has won: Rory McIlroy, who was a 12/1 co-fave at THE PLAYERS.
